Turns out that worrying about sleeplessness is more harmful than insomnia itself. A recent study published in the journal Behaviour Research and Therapy affirmed that people who thought they had trouble sleeping suffered more functional impairment as compared to those who slept poorly but they didn’t let it loom large over them. So, the study identified distress over sleeplessness as a greater problem than shortened snooze time or poor sleep quality.

However, sleep isn’t the only health issue that worrywarts get anxious about. Countless people live in the fear that they either have a deadly disease or will get it soon, even if they are in good health. This obsession with an imagined physical illness is known in the psychology fraternity as somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder or hypochondria. People with this condition can interpret a simple headache as brain tumour or magnify a mild indigestion to a heart attack and Google a lot about their perceived diseases. Even if the doctor gives a complete okay on their health, they are not satisfied.

“Illness anxiety disorder usually begins in early or middle adulthood and may get worse with age,” says Dr. Bhavna Barmi, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Delhi. “People who have a history of serious childhood illnesses, or have parents or close family members who worry too much about health are mostly susceptible to hypochondria. However, certain personality traits, severe stress and childhood abuse could also be the triggers behind hypochondria,” says Dr. Barmi.

Here there are some tried and tested ways to tackle this condition.

Don’t Google your symptomsWith the internet taking over almost most of our daily activities, you tend to search for symptoms regarding the health issues you may be facing. However, majority of the diagnoses being offered on the Internet are not authentic and can only increase your fear of getting a serious ailment. Experts have said that there is a significant rise of anxiety noted in people after visiting such websites that can relate a minor stomach infection to a life-threatening pancreatic cancer.

Trust your doctorWhen you are suffering from hypochondria, you tend to take a lot of opinions from various doctors. While a second opinion is encouraged in critical cases, too many viewpoints will confuse you all the more. Visit a doctor whom you trust and stick to his prescriptions. If two doctors say you’re fine, then there is no need to take advice from more doctors. However, in case of minor issues like a heartburn or an upset tummy you do not need to take the second opinion also.

Bore yourself with repetitive thoughtsThis can actually work wonders. Start thinking of the health condition that scares you the most, and repeat it slowly inside your head for about 20 minutes. After this exercise, you will simply get bored out and stop thinking about it.

Don’t turn yourself into a doctorIt is good that you are conscious and cautious about your health. But don’t go overboard. You should try and switch your focus away from your body at times. Replace your health-related thoughts with those on your favourite movies, or hobbies or anything that keeps you distracted.

Connect with people having similar issuesJoining a support group to openly share about your problems is the best way forward. Joining such a group might offer you a different perspective to look at things and you can share or gain knowledge that might help you in overcoming this issue.

Seek professional helpIf all your efforts fail, and your symptoms worsen, affecting your functional life, then you must consult a psychologist for counselling. “Learn to recognize when you’re stressed, the triggers behind it and how it affects your body. Your counsellor may help you with stress management and relaxation techniques. Practise them regularly,” says Barmi.

Published: January 8, 2019 7:28 pm | Updated:January 8, 2019 7:47 pm

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